Frequently Asked Questions:

1. How does Cookiebid work?
Cookiebid is a unique version of a brand new auction concept to reach the UK market. We offer high quality brand new items that are often won for a small fraction of the retail price.
First you buy some bids. When you place a bid on an item the cost of that item increases by 1 penny. There is a specific time limit set for each auction. Typically anywhere  between 20 secs and 3 minutes. When you place a bid the timer will run down. If no one else bids you are the winner. If someone else bids the timer will automatically reset to the product specific time. Ie between 20 secs and 3 minutes.
The opening times for the auctions are normally between 9.00am and midnight. If the product has not been sold by midnight the auction is paused and set to resume at 9.00am the next day. Please note that “AutoCookie” bids can be placed while the auction is paused and will be activated as soon as the auction restarts at 9.00am.

2. What does it mean when I win the auction?
You have won the right to buy that item at the price the bidding has reached. Plus delivery and any handling which is clearly stated.

3. How do I participate in an auction?
In order to participate you need to submit a bid by sending in a text message from your mobile phone or by creating a Cookiebid account. To bid using text message, simply send a message with the code for the specific product to the relevant short code. To bid using a Cookiebid account, simply click on “Register” and follow the simple instructions.

4. Are the goods second hand?
No. All products are brand new and come from respected manufacturers. All products come with the relevant warranties wherever applicable.

5. Is it possible to bid with a foreign mobile number?
No. If participating by mobile, you can only use a UK mobile number.

6. I don’t live in the UK can I still participate in Cookiebid?
Yes. But only by opening a Cookiebid account to purchase your bids. You also need to contact us to ascertain the delivery costs of the items you win as these will differ from the standard UK delivery costs stated.

7. What happens if at a new auction only one bid is submitted?
The auction closes and the winner has the right to buy that product for 1 penny plus the delivery cost.

8. Can I withdraw bids already submitted?
No. Submitted bids cannot be withdrawn.

9. Can I bid for the same product more than once?
Cookiebid does not limit the number of times you can bid on any product. If you are bidding by text message however, there may be a limit set by your service provider as to the number of messages you can send within one month. When using “Autocookie” you set your own limits to the number of bids you want placed.

10. What is the cost of placing a bid?
   The cost of placing a bid depends on whether you are using text message or 
   your own Cookiebid Account. Sending a text message costs £1.50 plus any
   operator  surcharges. To place a bid via your Cookiebid account  costs 
   between  £1.30 and £0.70 depending on the package purchased. Of course
   you may be able to bid for free depending on the auction you are entering or
   any promotion you may have joined.

11. What is “AutoCookie”. How does it work?
Autocookie is an automatic bidding function. It will bid automatically for you when you are unavailable to watch the auctions yourself. Only registered users are able to use Autocookie.
Autocookie is very simple to use .First log in to your account. Then click on the auction product you want to bid on. This will take you to the information page where you can follow the instructions to set up Autocookie.
Note: AutoCookie cannot be used via mobile phone text messages.

12. What is the difference between SMS bidding and online bidding?
SMS bidders do not need to buy bid packages.
On line bidders need to buy bid packages.
SMS bidders cannot use AutoCookie.
SMS bidders are charged £1.50 plus network charges, while on line bidders can purchase bid packages ranging from £1.30 to just £0.70 per bid.

13. Can I bid for more than one product at a time?
Yes there are no limitations.

14. Can I increase the bid by more than 1 penny?
No. In order to keep prices as low as possible 1 penny is set as the maximum increase per bid.

15. Can I bid during the night?
Cookiebid will at times have auctions that run 24hrs. We are aware some users like to bid on exciting auctions during the night. We will notify users on the site of upcoming night auctions. These often appear at short notice.

16. What happens if I am the last bidder at midnight?
Auctions are normally only live between 9.00am and midnight. Outside of these times the auction will be paused. The auction clock will not count down, and no new bids can be placed. However, at the appropriate time the next day the auction will resume and people may continue to bid. The last bidder of the evening will be listed as the highest bidder throughout the night, but anyone may place a counter bid in the morning when the auction restarts.

17. What happens when I win?
When the auction ends, the winner will be contacted to arrange delivery of the product. The product and delivery costs will be paid for by the winner. VAT will be included.
“Product cost” refers to the final cost of product at which bidding stopped.
It is not the retail price.

18. How can I buy bid packages on Cookiebid?
You can buy bid packages on line. Bid packages can be paid for using PayPal, credit or debit cards. Cookiebid at no time will store your card details for security reasons.

19. How long are Free bids valid for?
Free bids are normally only valid for fourteen days, unless otherwise stated.

20. Can I get a refund on unused bids?
No. Purchased bids are non refundable. Please only buy as many bids as you are comfortable using on Cookiebid.

21. How do I pay for the product I have won?
You can pay for your product using PayPal, credit or debit card. Please make sure you pay within 30 days of auction closing.

22. Is the cost of the product added to my phone bill if I win?
No, only the costs of the bids plus any operator surcharges are added to your phone bill. The product winner will be contacted and the product plus delivery will be paid for separately.

23. How long does it take for the product to be delivered?
We process delivery the day following payment. But it can take up to four weeks for you to receive it.

24. What happens when I win?
You will be contacted by e-mail. You will then make payment and enter the delivery address in your Cookiebid account section. You have to be logged in to complete this process. The product and delivery costs will be paid by the winner. The product cost refers to the auction closing price.

25. I have won using SMS. What happens next?
Cookiebid will contact the winner by SMS. SMS bidders are then required to register on line so that they can make payment for the product they have won. Once payment has been made delivery will be processed the following day.

26. What is the cost of delivery?
The winner of the product pays for the delivery and handling fees. For the specific costs please click on the information tab of the auction.

27. How long before I get my product?
Cookiebid will process your delivery the day following payment. In most cases you will receive your goods within 7 days. But it may take up to four weeks as in some cases we are reliant on third party carriers. Our delivery timeline is not binding. If customers have not received their goods within 28 days they should contact customer service on deliveries@cookiebid.com

28. Does Cookiebid deliver everywhere?
All delivery costs refer to UK mainland. In case of BFPO and elsewhere worldwide please contact our customer service team for costs and timescales.

29. I have received a faulty product what should I do?
Apologies for the inconvenience caused. On rare occasions an item might not work or may get damaged in transit. If a package shows signs of damage do not sign for it without verifying the contents are intact. Please note that you must inform us of any damaged or faulty goods within 5 days of receipt. Cookiebid cannot accept responsibility for damaged or faulty goods once 5 days have lapsed. If you notify us within this time, we will aim to solve your problem as quickly as possible.
It is sometimes useful to check the manufacturer’s website or call their helpline. Many of the most common faults are easily solved without having to return the product.
In the event that the product you received is faulty, please contact us at returns@cookiebid.com  and we will tell you what to do next. Please let us know the Product ID and serial number as these help us resolve issues more quickly.
We work with a range of different suppliers who are happy to help identify any problems and to replace faulty items, if necessary.
Please do not send the item back to us without contacting us. This could cause a delay in getting a replacement item to you. If your item does need replacing we will contact you and tell you what to do.

30. Can I return the product I have won?
Yes you can return the product you have won. Please contact our returns department at returns@cookiebid.com and mail us the following information:
User ID
Product ID and details
Reason for return.
Note We can only offer a refund on the final price of the item, not on the cost of the bids placed or the delivery costs.

31. What can I do to improve my chances of winning?
a) Get comfortable with the site; read the FAQs and the Terms and Conditions. They include very useful information. Try out our AutoCookie function, where you can set your personal Cookiebid account to bid for you.
b) Choose a view that you are comfortable with. As a customer you can choose to view the home page view, easy view or the product view.
Home page view is the page that is displayed when one sees the page for the first time. For a larger viewing area press F11 to view Cookiebid in full screen.
Easy view is developed for viewers who wish to bid on multiple products at one time, or wish to have a better overview of the products that are being auctioned.
Product view is where our users can inform themselves about specific product information, such as, specifications, delivery and handling fees etc. You can also see the last few bidders for that item.
c) Place your bids using a certain strategy: bid early, late or always on the top. Keep your eyes focused on the countdown timer. Don’t leave it too late though- you might miss out!
d) Use AutoCookie to your advantage, leave it on at times when you are away from your PC. It is also a useful tool to use to exhaust the competition.
e) Remember you can view the last few bidders from the product information page. You can observe that data in order to know your competition better. Understanding your competition is a very important aspect of winning. We advise you to:
Start on Virgin Bidders as fewer bidders are interested in bidding on lower value items.
Try to concentrate your bidding on a few items. Random bidding is a risky strategy.
Understand how other bidders place their bids and what time of the day they are bidding. Cookiebid is to a large extent about timing, so perhaps you can work out the best time of day to have a bid.
Bid at the right time of day. The number of bidders continually changes. Bidders can use this to pick up bargains by bidding when others are having breakfast or watching the soaps.
f) Free bids are very useful to win more products. Few people find them interesting and they can be won at cheap prices.

32. What should I not do?
Do not start bidding without having read the responsible bidding information. It is very important to set a budget and keep to it.
Be careful when using AutoCookie. Plan and execute the auto bidding strategy with care.

33. Is there a risk of addiction to the service?
Please refer to “Responsible Bidding” in the about us section.

34. Where can I read the Terms and Conditions?
Follow the link at the bottom of the pages.

35. I am using a AOL browser and every time I try to bid I am referred back to the Login screen?
Unfortunately, as a standard setting, AOL does not allow cookies to be stored- a security function that Cookibid uses to identify users. We therefore recommend our clients to use either Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox.

36. If I have additional questions, how do I contact Cookiebid?
E-mail contact@cookiebid.com.